Washington Square Moves - Acting Edition

by Matt Witten

The urban misfits who play chess in Washington Square Park have no money and no home, but they are smart, witty, and above all, terrific chess players. Al, a homeless ex-convict, hustles chess for a living with his buddies, Sammy D., a young baby-faced, part-time drug dealer, and Bobby, a Vietnam vet and Hare Krishna refugee. Their latest scheme for achieving fame and dignity through playing the game they love involves a female reporter, Margie, who happens to be an old friend of Al's, from the old days when Al was in school and had prospects. During the course of the play, we watch the three buddies ready for the biggest match in front of the TV cameras. Margie's influence has helped get the news cameras to the park, and everything else seems to be lined up. But the day of the match, the other reporters are called away for "real" news, Sammy D. pulls off one more stupid drug deal, and Al and Bobby lose their confidence. The world seems to crash in around them, until the game draws them back to start to build a new one.

72 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Matt Witten is a TV writer, novelist, playwright, and screenwriter who has written for many TV shows including House, Pretty Little Liars, Law & Order, Medium, Supernatural, and CSI: Miami. His thriller novel The Necklace is published in eight languages, is an Amazon Editors' Pick, and has been optioned for film by Leonardo DiCaprio. His novel Killer Story won a Foreword Indie award for best mystery and has been optioned for TV by Endgame Entertainment. Matt wrote four amateur sleuth novels that were published by Signet, including the Malice Domestic Award-winning Breakfast at Madeline’s, and he has been nominated for two Edgars and an Emmy. His published stage plays include The Deal, Washington Square Moves, and The Ties That Bind. He wrote the movie Drones, produced by Whitewater Films. His futuristic thriller, 51%, comes out in 2026. NBC has hired Matt to cowrite a TV pilot based on 51%.